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Hurricane Karl (2016 - WSHB)
Hurricane Karl was a long-lived and powerful tropical cyclone which caused significant impacts on the island of Bermuda. The eleventh named storm, fourth hurricane and second major hurricane of the active 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, Karl originated from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on September 12. Developing into a tropical depression on September 14, the system gradually strengthened into a tropical storm by the next day. Afterwards, Karl intensified at a steady pace, eventually becoming a hurricane late on September 17. Some more intensification took place before it reached its initial peak intensity on September 19 as it approached north of the Lesser Antilles, before wind shear weakened the hurricane. Karl moved around the western periphery of a ridge, and soon afterwards, the hurricane rapidly strengthened into a major hurricane on September 23 and reached its peak intensity shortly thereafter as it curved eastwards and passed just to the south of Bermuda. Karl then began accelerating northeastwards, while steadily weakening and undergoing an extratropical transition, a process which it completed on September 25. The remnants of the storm were later absorbed into a larger system the next day. Upon being designated a tropical depression on September 14, Karl brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall to the Cape Verde Islands, with no fatalities reported. As it approached to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles, tropical storm watches were posted in preparation for gusty winds from the hurricane's large wind field. High surf caused by the storm caused one death in Saint Martin, and injured another, by overall damage was minor. As Karl approached the island of Bermuda as a major hurricane, the government posted a hurricane watch for the island, which was later upgraded to a warning on September 23. Residents anticipated and feared for a similar strike to that of Hurricane Fabian in 2003, however the hurricane moved just to the south, averting Bermuda a potentially major strike, and impacts were less then anticipated, although two people were killed on the island as a result of flooding. Another died due to high swells generated by the storm on the East Coast of the United States. Karl also was the first of two major hurricanes to impact the island of Bermuda in 2016, the other would be Hurricane Nicole about three weeks later, which made a direct hit on the island. Overall, Karl caused a total of four deaths and US$10 million in damages across its long journey in the Atlantic. Meteorological history On September 12, a vigorous tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. Immediately upon moving off, the wave began to show signs of organisation, with moderate to deep convection flaring up around a broad area of low pressure. The next day, increasing organised convection caused the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to assess a high potential of tropical cyclogenesis to the disturbance. By September 14, the system had become organised enough to be declared Tropical Depression Twelve at 12:00 UTC that day. Initially not expected to become a named storm until 60 hours later, the depression steadily intensified as it passed through the Cabo Verde Islands to a tropical storm on September 15, receiving the name Karl. With moderate wind shear and some dry air, the storm initially intensified gradually, while at times temporarily weakening, at one point on September 16 it almost weakened to a tropical depression due to unfavourable conditions. By the next day, wind shear lowered, allowing Karl to strengthen. At 18:00 UTC that day, the storm intensified into a hurricane as outflow became established over the system, and a ragged eye feature was clearing out. Further intensification occurred as Karl entered an area of more favorable conditions, and on September 19 at 06:00 UTC, the hurricane reached its initial peak intensity as a Category 2 with sustained winds of 105 mph (170 km/h). Shortly afterwards, Karl stalled in intensity as an eyewall replacement cycle occurred, however moderate wind shear combined with the aforementioned cycle to weaken the system back to a Category 1 as it began to turn northeastwards, and also made its closest approach to the Lesser Antilles. Karl once again entered an area of low wind shear and high sea surface temperatures, allowing the hurricane to undergo a period of rapid intensification beginning late on September 21, as a well-defined eye quickly developed over the storm's bursting central dense overcast (CDO). This eventually culminated on September 23 at 12:00 UTC, with Hurricane Hunters reconnaissance aircraft finding that Karl had achieved its peak intensity as a Category 3 major hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph (190 km/h) and a central pressure of 965 mbar (25.0 inHg). At the time, it was located to the southwest of Bermuda. Turning eastwards in response to an approaching trough, Karl began to steadily weaken as it brushed the island of Bermuda; its closest approach was 60 mi (120 km) to the south of the territory around 05:00 UTC on September 24. It weakened below major hurricane intensity later that day as it began to undergo extratropical transition. Increasing wind shear rapidly blew away most of the deepest convection, and the storm itself began to resemble that of a comma leaf. At 12:00 UTC on September 25, Karl became a hurricane-force extratropical low as it accelerated northeastwards into the northern Atlantic. The remnants of the storm were later absorbed by a larger system the next day. Preparations and impact Cape Verde Islands Immediately after Karl was designated as a tropical depression on September 14, tropical storm warnings were issued for the islands despite it not being forecasted to become a tropical storm until a day later. Approximately 1.64 in (4.165 cm) of rainfall fell in the islands and gusty winds of up to 43 mph (69 km/h) as it passed through the islands, the first to do so since Hurricane Fred the previous year. Minimal to light damage was reported on the islands, however no fatalities or injuries were reported as a result. Lesser Antilles As Karl approached to the northeast of the islands, the official governments issued a tropical storm watch for the islands of Saint Martin, United States Virgin Islands, Martinique, and Dominica (which was devastated by Tropical Storm Erika just over a year prior) on September 18. The National Hurricane Center also advised that there was potential that Karl could track more westward, bringing it closer to the island chain then would be expected. As a result, a hurricane watch was issued later that day. However, the hurricane moved slightly more north then expected, minimizing effects, however large swells were recorded, which resulted in the death of a 57-year old man in Saint Martin. Bermuda As Karl approached the island, many preparations were made for what was expected to be the worst hurricane to strike Bermuda since 2003. The nation had already bore the brunt of three hurricanes over the course of the three previous years (Fay and Gonzalo in 2014, and Joaquin in 2015, respectively). On September 20, a tropical storm watch was posted as forecasts predicted a close approach of the hurricane to the island. This was later upgraded to a warning shortly after midnight. The next day, a hurricane watch was posted, discontinuing the tropical storm advisories as models began to indicate that Karl would pass very close to the island, possibly even make a direct hit on the island, with the National Hurricane Center advising that "any slight northwest deviation from the forecast track could result in a landfall". The watch was later upgraded to a hurricane warning that night. The governor of Bermuda, Ginny Ferson, issued a statement early on September 22, declaring "We may be dealing with one of the worst storms to strike our region since 2003. I am advising you, please take this storm seriously and finalize your preparations. We have been through three hurricanes in the last two years, and you shouldn't take this approaching storm with a grain of salt". The official airport of the island, L.F. Wade International Airport, suspended all flights on September 22 and alerted other airports to divert any planes heading towards the island. All schools and businesses also closed on September 22 in advance of the storm, and ferry and bus services were suspended. However, Karl ended up passing just to the south of the island, averting a potentially disastrous strike for the island. Nonetheless, effects were still significant, though not as much as anticipated. Strong winds pelted the island for hours on end during the overnight of September 23 and 24, with the highest gust being 109 mph (175 km/h). Heavy rainfall also fell on the island, with maximum reports of up to 11 inches (28 cm) of rain on the island, triggering flash flooding. The storm also knocked out power to around 17,850 households — about 80% of all electric customers on the island. Several boats anchored to piers on the island were damaged, and many houses sustained some sort of damage, the heaviest being one which had a majority of the roof torn off. The storm resulted in two deaths on the island, which both resulted from low-level flooding into some households. Overall, the storm caused around US$10 million in damages on the island, less then what was initially feared. In the aftermath, most of the power was restored to the island, only to be hampered by Hurricane Nicole which struck the island less then 2 weeks after Karl. See also *Hurricane Dean (1989) *List of Bermuda hurricanes Category:Cyclones Category:2016 Atlantic hurricane season Category:Reimagined storms Category:MarioProtIV